Who is Sudheer Rajbhar of Chamar Studio, whom Rahul Gandhi met in Mumbai?

It added, “Chamar Studio’s success highlights how traditional artisanship and modern entrepreneurship can work together so that skilled artisans get a piece of the success they build with their own hands. While working with Sudheer and his team in Dharavi today, I underscored the importance of inclusive production networks that uplift skilled workers across various sectors.”

Gandhi also wrote that he had spoken in the Lok Sabha about “how a prosperous India can only be built through ‘production and participation.’ Chamar Studio’s success shows this model works, and I hope we can replicate such an approach across India.”

Sudheer Rajbhar – a Dalit artist who decided to reclaim his identity

Born in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, Sudheer Rajbhar is an artist, designer, and founder of Chamar Studio, a Mumbai-based design brand. Named after a Dalit community historically engaged in leather-making, the studio collaborates with Dalit leather workers and artisans, including street-side cobblers, sweepers, boot-polish wallas, and leather craftsmen, to create ethical and sustainable products such as bags, footwear, pet leashes and more recently furniture.

“Chamar” is a term historically used in India to refer to a Dalit community involved in leatherwork and tanning. Often used as a casteist slur, the word carries deep-rooted stigma due to its association with handling animal hides.

Having grown up hearing the word ‘chamar’ used as an insult, Rajbhar has spent nearly a decade reclaiming the term, first as an artist exploring caste-based ostracisation. When the 2015 beef ban left many Dalit and Muslim leather workers jobless, he sought an alternative to leather that would allow them to revive their craft.

In 2017, he discovered a recycled rubber material made from waste that closely resembled leather in texture and properties. This became the foundation of Chamar Studio, where he partnered with Dalit and Muslim leather workers in Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums.

“Chamar is a will to conserve crafts from a banned industry and a banned community,” reads a note on the brand’s website. It continues, “Chamar creations and collections serve as activism flags highlighting social injustices in India. The brand aims to shift traditional perceptions of untouchability by lending prestige to the Dalit community through excellence in craftsmanship.”

“We sourced inner tubes from discarded tyres in Dharavi, which is a massive recycling hub, and processed them into powder. We then mixed this powder with pigment and natural rubber to create sheets. We have been working with French textile designer Camille Bastien to weave strips of this rubber material into bags,” Rajbhar explained in an interview, adding that shifting to rubber not only changed people’s perceptions but also positioned Chamar Studio as a sustainable and vegan brand.

Over the years, Chamar Studio has showcased multiple collections. Its debut collection, Bombay Black, featured a minimalist line of handbags, wallets, and belts crafted from recycled rubber tyre sheets. Another collection, Blue Collar, involved collaborations with cobblers working on Mumbai’s suburban railway platforms to create accessories for women. These efforts have cemented the brand’s reputation in the fashion world.

In December last year, global icon Rihanna was photographed at Design Miami sitting on a burnt orange Flap Chair designed by Chamar Studio. At the same event, American football player Stefon Diggs was seen sitting on another of Rajbhar’s creations, a green-blue Baldric Chair. The moment went viral, bringing Rajbhar a wider audience as he continues to challenge societal biases, and prove that traditional artisanship and modern entrepreneurship can not only coexist but also thrive on a global stage.